Tuesday, January 13, 2015

As the interest of US investors in emerging markets
increases, Turkish-founded startups complete ITU GATE Accelerator Program with
business development, fundraising opportunities and a Demo Day at 1871

CHICAGO (January 14, 2015)—1871 welcomed eight Turkish startups to its headquarters
at The Merchandise Mart this week from the ITU GATE Accelerator Program. The
startups will spend three weeks in Chicago to pursue business development and
fundraising opportunities, ending with a Demo Day at 1871 on January 29. This
program marks the third time that Sente Advisory and 1871 have partnered to
bring groups of Turkish-founded startups to 1871.

“Chicago is
the best place for an international startup to launch into the US market,” said
1871 CEO Howard A. Tullman. “As the center of Chicago’s entrepreneurial
community and the nation’s largest digital startup hub, 1871 is uniquely placed
to showcase the abundant resources that allow entrepreneurs from across the
globe to come to Chicago and thrive. We are excited to welcome entrepreneurs
that have developed in Istanbul Technical University’s ecosystem, and look
forward to providing them with valuable experience and connections.”

The ITU Gate Accelerator Program begins with six weeks in
Turkey, where seventeen selected startups receive business education and
personalized mentoring in Istanbul. After a Demo Day in Turkey, eight startups
are selected to execute business development and fundraising plans in the
United States. The companies work
closely with the Sente Advisory team through scheduled individual meetings as
well as informally in a collaborative work environment. After participating in
a Demo Day, selected companies travel to the US portion of the program.
Following their time in Chicago, the startups visit San Francisco for one week
and participate in a Demo Day at PARISOMA on February 5.

The
startups visiting 1871 include:

·Bodru - a cloud-based
platform for SME business applications. The team's fourth startup is in beta
with 1,000 sign-ups, 80 percent of which are in the US. www.bodru.com

·Borda – a solution that integrates radio
frequency identification (RFID) hardware and software into hospitals, providing
real-time solutions for more efficient use of assets and personnel. The
company has 22 customers in Turkey, an office in the US, and is negotiating a
partnership with a leading American healthcare integrator. www.bordatech.com

·Ingenious – a startup that designs and
produces smart home systems. The company has 500+ pre-orders in Turkey, 50
percent of which came within the first 24 hours of its public beta launch.

http://ingenious.io/en

·Invent Analytics - a SaaS based business analytics
company specializing in retail merchandising, planning, inventory and supply
chain management. The company has eight major customers in Turkey. www.inventanalytics.com

·Nanokomp - the developer of a continuous
production line that creates low cost prepreg tapes with added nano-particles.
Prepregs are composite material used in aerospace, automobile, and
renewable energy industries. The patentable technology presents substantial
licensing and exit opportunities in a consolidated supplier market. http://nanokomp.com.tr

·SBS – a solution that unlocks the health
potential of products produced by bees, including the development of spreads
that slow aging while boosting energy and the immune system. The team has
connections to 10,000 beekeepers internationally and currently has 20,000 hives
contracted in Turkey. http://sbs-turkey.com

·StockGround - an equity research platform that enables
buy-side and sell-side analysts to monitor and analyze financial data and news.
The company has more than 250 users stemming from more than 50 customers in
four countries. www.stockground.com

Since its opening, 1871 has
hosted thousands of foreign dignitaries and entrepreneurs seeking to explore
the entrepreneurial and technology industries in Chicago. In June, 1871 hosted twelve international startups for the US
Department of State’s Global Innovation through Science and Technology
Initiative (GIST), and more recently hosted eight Columbian IT firms to
complete the TerraBridge Internationalization Project Boot Camp. 1871 also has formalized agreements with incubators and co-working spaces in
London, Tel Aviv and Mexico City.This international involvement
not only highlights Chicago’s growing ecosystem for digital entrepreneurs, but
also provides 1871 members with an expanding set of tools and resources so that
they can remain globally competitive as they develop their businesses.

Istanbul
Technical University (ITU) has created the "ITU Entrepreneurship
Ecosystem" to encourage the role of entrepreneurship in national development
and continues to build on 242 years at the forefront of technical progress in
Turkey. ITU ARI Teknokent is the Technology Park of ITU and works closely with
startup companies to improve research and development on advanced technologies
in Turkey. The ITU ARI Teknokent hub is situated in the heart of business life
in Istanbul with over 160 companies and 5,200 employees.

About
Sente Advisory Services (Sente)

Founded
in 2008, Sente provides incubation and accelerator services to startups in Turkey
and other emerging startup ecosystems. Sente facilitates entry into US markets
for startups with strong opportunities for business development and
fundraising.

About 1871

1871 is
the home of more than 325 early-stage, high-growth startups. Located in The
Merchandise Mart, this 75,000 square foot facility is also the headquarters of
nationally recognized accelerators, Techstars Chicago and Impact Engine; half a
dozen industry-specific incubators in key areas such as real estate, education
technology and the Internet of Everything; several emerging tech talent schools
(The Starter League and the Startup Institute), and the state's leading
technology advocate, the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition. It is the
second home to Chicago-based VCs, Pritzker Group, MATH Ventures, Hyde Park
Angels, OurCrowd and Chicago Ventures, as well as satellite offices for
Northwestern University, University of Illinois, University of Chicago,
Illinois Institute of Technology, Northern Illinois University, Southern
Illinois University, Loyola University Chicago and DeVry. 1871 has fast become
recognized as the hub for the city’s entrepreneurial/technology ecosystem and
has been featured in TechCrunch, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Chicago
Tribune and Crain’s Chicago Business among other top media.